Displaying items by tag: Daramalan College

MSC Education -  Back to school 2025 for our four colleges

At Downlands

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Programs at Monivae

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Principal

and Chaplain at Chevalier

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Daramalan alumni at work in the school

Most of us enjoyed a lovely break, but the Pacific Maintenance crew worked exceptionally hard over the holidays to remodel the Sharpe Wing, install air conditioning, and rebuild the dance studios in time for the first day of term. With nearly everyone on the team being a former student, we can certainly expect their best efforts!

MSC Education tradition, Daramalan Alumni, 4 Music Stories

Over the years, the Daramalan Alumni Facebook page chronicles some of the ex-student achievements.  We have posted quite a number of these stories – a tribute to the MSC spirit in education.

Alison Ware, nee Rayner (1981), Creative Arts Therapist and a Certified Clinical Musician of the Therapeutic Harp Program, provides comfort to patients across hospitals and medical centres in the Canberra region.

The program is entirely patient-centred, with music specifically tailored to individual requirements and chosen to support their health and well-being by providing a quiet space for rest reflection and to facilitate sleep.

Last year alone, Alison visited 386 patients by their bedsides, directed around 130 sessions in wards and common spaces, provided comfort care and end-of-life vigils to 68 individuals.

Congratulations to amazing Lorina Gore (1994) who is performing one of the Rhinemaidens in Australian Opera production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle currently happening in Brisbane. Incredible talent!

Congratulations to our 1980 Alumni, Peter Cambell, on releasing his new album "Journey". One of the songs, "Don't Come Back" was written by Mark Flynn. Peter played in a covers band with Mark when Peter was in Year 10.

You can find out more about Peter Campbell's music on his professional page: https://www.facebook.com/campbellcountrymusic

Timothy Kain (1968) a terrific guitar soloist, a duo guitarist and the founder of Guitar Trek, Australia’s unique and pioneering guitar quartet. He was also made a member of the Order of Australia, AM, in June 2013. Tim’s latest CD was released this year; you can find out more information on the musician's website https://timkain.net/main/page_home.html

Daramalan College, from Residence to Issoudun Centre

The site of the former MSC Residence now holds the Issoudun Performing Arts Centre.

In the mid-1960s, 24 brothers and priests lived in the Residence, plus two or three in a unit in the Sharpe wing. Quite a number of MSC lived in the Residence over the decades.

The Issoudun Wing is a two-storey performing arts centre for Daramalan College, created in collaboration with the school team and specialist theatre design consultants.

The centre provides a new home for creativity and expression with a large theatre that will host a range of school gatherings.

The building references the school’s existing architecture, adding to the pattern of planning across the campus and defining the northeast corner of the Dickson site.

It is called the “Issoudun Wing” after the French town where Fr Jules Chevalier started the MSC order in 1854. The name pays honour to the Daramalan priests and brothers who vacated the site after living there since the 1960s.

It was blessed and opened on Friday, October 25^th at 9:30am,followed by morning tea and a Chevalier Day Liturgy.

The MSC presence was Stephen Hackett, Provincial, Barry Smith, previous in management, Kimi, past chaplain, Tru, present chaplain.

Appreciation to Barry Smith for providing the photos.

Daramalan College Alumni, achievement with the Daramalan MSC spirit.

Over the years, the Daramalan Alumni Facebook page chronicles some of the ex-student achievements.  We have posted quite a number of these stories – a tribute to the MSC spirit in education.  This time, sport, theatre and business.

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It is interesting to see how many different paths our graduates take. Bohdi Noy (2019) decided to make wrestling his career after seven years of drama classes. Wrestling under the name Bohdi Kennedy, he performed in Australia and will continue his wrestling journey in Japan next.

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After announcing retirement from her Olympic hurdling career two years ago, Lauren Boden (2006) turned her hand to bobsled. She teamed up with another Canberra sprinter Sarah Blizzard to compete. Previously, only two Australian athletes have competed in the Summer and Winter Olympics. Good luck to these two outstanding athletes!

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Last week our Alumni member Zoe Davis (2019) returned to Daramalan College to talk to the Year 10,11,12 drama students about her pathway into the Performing Arts industry. Zoe answered multiple questions and gave tips to the ones interested in a Performing Arts career.

Zoe graduated from NIDA last year with a Bachelor of Technical Theatre and Stage Management. This year she got a job as a Professional Assistant Stage Manager on the production season of Sydney Theatre Company's "Hubris and Humiliation". Way to go, Zoe!

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Congratulations to Daramalan Alumni Lloyd Allison-Young (2008) for his performance at The Edinburgh Festival in the Legs On The Wall play. Lloyd was nominated for best-supporting Actor in Sydney last year and is proving to be a very versatile performer.

Lloyd Allison-Young graduated from Daramalan College, having a most distinguished history playing Peer Gynt while still in Year 8 and being the inspiration and founding member of the Comedy Club that was to become the Drama Club and now the Daramalan Theatre Company (DTC) Junior Ensemble. Lloyd was engaged as a professional Actor while still at school in Year 10 and appeared in the film "The Black Balloon", produced by and starring Tony Collette, along with a number of television cameos.

He was later accepted into New York's Stella Adler School of Acting and later into L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Lloyd performed for several years in Europe before returning to Sydney and becoming a prominent performer in the professional industry there. Lloyd has kept his connection with Daramalan College open. In 2019, he composed the music for Brecht's "Mother Courage", performed by the DTC.

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The founder of a kids-focused haircare brand is celebrating her products rolling onto the shelves of 530 Chemist Warehouse stores across the country after she found a solution to the battle many parents face when trying to look after their kids’ hair. 

While Brisbane-based MIMI was initially launched as an e-commerce brand in April 2022, its founder Emma Mackenzie’s long-term strategy has always been aimed at pharmacy retail. With the personal care needs of children aged 5-12 underserved globally and the market projected to reach US$137.11 billion by 2030, Mackenzie is gearing up for MIMI to lead the category with plant-based product solutions. Mackenzie told SmartCompany the national presence of Chemist Warehouse ensures the brand’s products are readily available across the country

Daramalan College Alumni, achievement with the Daramalan MSC spirit.

Over the years, the Daramalan Alumni Facebook page chronicles some of the ex-student achievements.  We have posted quite a number of these stories – a tribute to the MSC spirit in education.

Justice Jeremy Kirk

After 20 years practising as a barrister in Sydney, ex-Dara lad Jeremy Kirk from 1987, (brother of Tim “Clonakilla” fame) will be sworn in as a judge to serve in the NSW Supreme Court, the highest Court in the state. He will sit in the Court of Appeal, described by the Attorney General Mark Speakman as, “the strongest state or territory appellate court in Australia”. Well, what more can you say, except huge congratulations Justice Kirk.

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Brenda Croft from 1981, currently a leading First Nations artist and scholar from the ANU, has been awarded the Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Chair of Australian Studies at Harvard University for the 2023-2024 academic year. Yep, THAT Harvard, America’s oldest and most prestigious University. The award will see her as the inaugural First Nations woman to take up the role. Impressive!

Brenda is from the Gurindji/Malngin/Mudburra peoples from the Northern Territory, with Anglo-Australian/ Chinese/German/Irish heritage. Her new role will see her teaching and researching between the Department of History of Art and Architecture, and the Department of Art, Film, and Visual Studies, while also engaging with colleagues in the Harvard University Native American Program.

Brenda recently completed her PhD and is now Professor Croft at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. The Dean of the College, Professor Rae Frances stated, "We are especially proud to be represented by such a talented Indigenous scholar whose work will do much to communicate the rich culture and history of Australian First Nations people to a US audience.

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Recognised in the Australia Day Honours List, Professor Kiaran Kirk (1979), appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his significant service to science education and research. Kiaran, brother of Tim Kirk (1984) of Clonakilla fame, is Dean of the ANU’s College of Science with his primary research interest being the biology of the malaria parasite.

A long way from his interests at school which included Jazz/Rock music and Debating, with his team winning the 1979 Inter-Schools Debating Trophy. Kiaran even took home a new watch for his efforts. 43 years later he has an Order of Australia medal to go next to that watch on the mantlepiece.

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An amazing achievement by our 1987 graduate Michael Laffan, whose book "Under Empire" won the General History Prize in the 2023 NSW Premier's History Award (a bit late but still amazing!). The General History Prize is given to a major work of non-fiction, on international history that is of national or international significance. The book tells about shifting perceptions of Muslims in Indian Ocean empires from the Dutch to the British, Ottomans and, at the close, Japanese.

Michael is currently Paula Chow Professor of International and Regional Studies; Professor of History; Director of the Center for Collaborative History at Princeton University.

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Award-winning wildlife scientist and 2006 Daramalan College Alumna, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, hosted the 2023 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science at Parliament House. Guests from across the Australian science, research, technology and education community attended the presentation dinner and Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia and the Hon Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science announced the recipients.

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Daramalan alumni stories, Bernard Kane, ‘Goodbye, farewell and amen.”

For many years, Daramalan student and Daramalan staff, posted interesting and entertaining posts on the achievements of college alumni. Last year, he passed on the task and posted this entry. It is also a mini-memoir and of the College.

Bernard worked with Jim Littleton for photos for many of his books,

In coming weeks we will continue the Daramalan alumni stories.

I’m writing to say goodbye. After 20 years, I’m finishing in this role. The school has employed another person who will take on the Alumni baton, so I would not only like to take this final opportunity to pass on my thanks to everyone who has made our group what it is today, but to also ask for your indulgence while I bore you with a short history of, well…me.

Since Daramalan opened in 1962 there have been sporadic attempts to maintain links with our ex-students but it wasn’t until 2002, during the College’s 40th anniversary, that the Principal at the time David Garratt realised the need for a more formal organisation. Which is where I came in.

I started at Daramalan in 1964 in 4th Class, graduating after 9 years in 1972. Soon after, I left Canberra returning some 25 years later when I reconnected with the College at the request of Principal Frank Fulton in 2001 who asked if I would work with the aforementioned anniversary committee. Sadly Frank passed away just two weeks after the 40th event.

Around this same time the Hospitality Department at the College also opened a commercial Restaurant in the Dickson shops called ‘Pathways’ which was designed to give our students real-world experience in the hospitality industry. An admirable concept, but for many reasons, it was not to be an economic success. The Bursar at the time, Fr Harold Baker, asked me to take on the management of ‘Pathways’ and submit a report with a recommendation as to its long-term viability. Reluctantly, after six months, it was time to close it.

It was then Dave Garratt asked me if I would be interested in working at Dara to create an official Alumni Association, as by that time, some 14,000 ex-students had passed through the school gates and many were actively seeking to stay connected. I readily agreed and, as they say, the rest is history.

A lot has changed at Dara since I arrived nearly 60 years ago. We now have girls, but sadly no priests or brothers teaching. Back then, the College comprised three buildings for 700 boys; we now have eleven (soon to be twelve) with co-ed enrolments approaching 1500 this year. (The first girls arrived in 1977).

In 1964 the school was led by Fr McCowage; in 2023, our second female lay Principal Rachel Davies is at the helm after Rita Daniels retired in 2020. We have been lucky to have had so many memorable teachers over this time, far too many to mention, as we all have our favourites depending on personalities and generation.

Finally it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge some individuals such as Fr Jim Littleton, Fr Bob Irwin and Fr Harold Baker who helped make the MSC ethos at Daramalan the cornerstone of what the College stands for today. Thank you.

Anyway I think that’s probably enough from me. Thank you again to everyone for your support and commitment to our Alumni over the years, and to ‘borrow’ the title of the final episode of M*A*S*H, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.

Bernard Kane